Headteacher insists academy trust folding is "not a disaster"

The head teacher of a school run by an academies chain which is to fold has insisted the move “is not a disaster”, despite union members saying the school is in a “shambolic state”.

Andy Mortimer, interim principal of Bexhill High, said the winding up of the Prospects Academies Trust (PAT) will not impact on students.

It was revealed at the end of last week that the trust, which had previously been told by the Department for Education (DfE) that it could not take on any more schools, was to be wound up. It is believed to be the first time an academy chain has folded.

GMB, the union for school support staff, has called for East Sussex County Council to take control of the school, but Mr Mortimer said the school was already looking for a new sponsor.

He said: “I really want to get the mes- sage across to everyone within Bexhill High and the wider community that this is not a disaster, indeed far from it.

“Of course the situation isn’t ideal, but I want to stress the Department for Education is already looking for a new sponsor.

“A new sponsor will come in and take over Bexhill High, just as PAT did.

She said: “The school has been beset with problems since becoming an acad- emy and a knee-jerk reaction bidding process to try and find a new sponsor will just simply be adding to the list of problems.”

GMB are set to hold a public meeting in the next couple of weeks while a new sponsor is sought for the school.

PAT chairman Peter Evans said the trust had found it “very difficult over the past year to provide the required support and services to all our academies because of the geographical spread of the trust academies”.

A DfE spokesman said they were aware of PAT’s decision to withdraw as an academy sponsor.

Comments (5)

Union rep Rachel Verdin describes the Academies program as an experiment. How can a government experiment with the entire country? Why not pilot it for 5 years in one or two counties?

If Brighton and Hove can't resist conversion to academies, nowhere else will be able to.

Let's hope that the new sponsor won't be a religious one. They are so eager to take over all of our schools.

Union rep Rachel Verdin describes the Academies program as an experiment. How can a government experiment with the entire country? Why not pilot it for 5 years in one or two counties?
If Brighton and Hove can't resist conversion to academies, nowhere else will be able to.
Let's hope that the new sponsor won't be a religious one. They are so eager to take over all of our schools.andrewedmondson

andrewedmondson wrote:
Union rep Rachel Verdin describes the Academies program as an experiment. How can a government experiment with the entire country? Why not pilot it for 5 years in one or two counties?

If Brighton and Hove can't resist conversion to academies, nowhere else will be able to.

Let's hope that the new sponsor won't be a religious one. They are so eager to take over all of our schools.

Amen to that!

[quote][p][bold]andrewedmondson[/bold] wrote:
Union rep Rachel Verdin describes the Academies program as an experiment. How can a government experiment with the entire country? Why not pilot it for 5 years in one or two counties?
If Brighton and Hove can't resist conversion to academies, nowhere else will be able to.
Let's hope that the new sponsor won't be a religious one. They are so eager to take over all of our schools.[/p][/quote]Amen to that!Elgabalus

In 2012 Gove visited Bexhill High claiming it to be the future of education, and praising Prospects Academies Trust for being “absolutely dedicated to students who deserve the best”. Any word from Gove on the failure of this academy chain, or how many thousands of students have had their education disrupted by this - 6 schools in this chair now have no sponsor. The assets of this school where signed over from ESCC to PAT. They need to be given back to ESCC.

In 2012 Gove visited Bexhill High claiming it to be the future of education, and praising Prospects Academies Trust for being “absolutely dedicated to students who deserve the best”. Any word from Gove on the failure of this academy chain, or how many thousands of students have had their education disrupted by this - 6 schools in this chair now have no sponsor. The assets of this school where signed over from ESCC to PAT. They need to be given back to ESCC.ihatemondays

andrewedmondson wrote:
Union rep Rachel Verdin describes the Academies program as an experiment. How can a government experiment with the entire country? Why not pilot it for 5 years in one or two counties?

If Brighton and Hove can't resist conversion to academies, nowhere else will be able to.

Let's hope that the new sponsor won't be a religious one. They are so eager to take over all of our schools.

Too late for "trial runs" -the Union person is right - the experiment with our kids future needs stopping - it has failed.

And we will stop it in Brighton and Hove - we have the lowest Academy rate in the country at present - apart from stopping it at Varndean, we "killed" it, at Queensdown (as was, now Homewood College) and we will do the same at Hove Park.

And just a small suggestion as to why a few Heads want to be Academies - a primary school in South London got paid £203,000 last year - top wage in a Local Authority School is £80,000. Luckily, most Heads have principles...

[quote][p][bold]andrewedmondson[/bold] wrote:
Union rep Rachel Verdin describes the Academies program as an experiment. How can a government experiment with the entire country? Why not pilot it for 5 years in one or two counties?
If Brighton and Hove can't resist conversion to academies, nowhere else will be able to.
Let's hope that the new sponsor won't be a religious one. They are so eager to take over all of our schools.[/p][/quote]Too late for "trial runs" -the Union person is right - the experiment with our kids future needs stopping - it has failed.
And we will stop it in Brighton and Hove - we have the lowest Academy rate in the country at present - apart from stopping it at Varndean, we "killed" it, at Queensdown (as was, now Homewood College) and we will do the same at Hove Park.
And just a small suggestion as to why a few Heads want to be Academies - a primary school in South London got paid £203,000 last year - top wage in a Local Authority School is £80,000. Luckily, most Heads have principles...ourcoalition